Brothers and Sisters,
The temptations to which our Lord allowed himself to be submitted in today’s Gospel lesson, are for us a source of encouragement and consolation. If our Lord and master underwent temptation, we cannot and must not expect to live a Christian life without experiencing similar tests and trials. The three temptations Satan put to our Lord were suggestions to forget his purpose in life - his messianic mission of redemption. He was urged to get all the bodily comforts of life, all the self-glory which men could give him, and all the possessions and power this world could give him.
Our basic temptations in life are the same: bodily comforts and pleasure, the empty esteem of our fellow man, wealth and power. There are millions of men and women on Earth today who have given in to these temptations and, are wasting their lives chasing after these unattainable shadows. But even if they should manage to catch up with some of them, they soon find out that they are empty baubles.
Today, let each one of us look into his or her heart and honestly examine their reaction to these temptations. Do we imitate our Savior and leader and say, “Be gone Satan?” Our purpose in life is not to collect its treasures, its honors or its pleasures. We are here a few short years to merit the unending life which Christ has won for us. Would we be so foolish to swap our inheritance for mere temptations in our life?
Lent is a golden opportunity to review our past and make sensible resolutions for our future. As Father Tony said in his homily last weekend, Lent is a time for us to concentrate our forty days on Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving.
Have a blessed Lenten season,
Deacon Del